Second Time Around - by Nina Stone
Written N Stone
Excerpt
He took a step towards her and stopped. “Clara Miller?”
“N…” she caught herself, realizing he was calling her by her maiden name. It had been a long time since
anyone had called her that. “Yes?”
Who was this man? Her fear all but vanished and her curiosity grew.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “but do I know you?”
She took a step forward as he advanced three steps. Then he grasped the bill of his cap and eased it off his
head revealing dark brown hair shot with red from the sun. As his hand fell away from his face, Clara got her
first good look at him. His cheeks were lean and his jaws were covered with dark stubble. His mouth was
generous and his nose long yet slightly crooked. But it was his brilliant blue eyes permanently crinkled in the
corners from squinting against the sun and the elements that set Clara’s heart to racing.
The hammer, nails, and water jug slipped out of her hands and fell unheeded to the ground. There was only
one other person she knew who had eyes that peculiar shade of blue and that was her son. For one long
breathless moment, she thought she was going to faint.
“Oh, dear God.” The words slipped out in a whisper. “Adam.”
She could do nothing but stare at him, her mouth gaping. Her mind whirled with questions, but nothing
came out. Finally Adam broke their stare to look down at the hat he had crushed in his hands. When he
looked back up his expression was cautious. He cleared his throat.
“How have you been?”
He outwardly winced at his own words and then gave her an apologetic smile. Her heart fluttered. Oh Lord,
after all these years he still had the ability to make her weak in the knees with that smile. Or maybe it was
just an aftereffect from the shock of seeing him again.
“Sorry, I had a speech all rehearsed for when I saw you, but now…” he shook his head, “…words fail me.”
“What…what are you doing here?” Her voice shook treacherously. Why was he here? Why now?
Adam twisted the cap in his hands as if searching for the words. “I had to see you again. I had to see if…”
He cut himself short and dropped his gaze.
“Why?” Clara heard herself repeating unspoken thoughts. “Why now?”
His expression was earnest when he looked back up. “So many things were left unsaid and undone,
unsettled. You left a gaping hole in my life, Clara.”
She opened her mouth and closed it. What could she say? That he had left a hole in her life as well?
Thankfully, she’d had Trent to help fill it. A wave of panic swept over her. Oh, Lord! Trent…
Clara squeezed her eyes shut. This wasn’t happening. She was hallucinating from being out in the sun all
day. When she opened her eyes, Adam wouldn’t be there. He would be gone like a bad dream.
But he was still standing there tall and sure and oh so close. If she reached out her hand, she could touch
him. A fierce longing swept over her to do just that, but she fought it by crossing her arms over her chest.
“It’s been a long time, Adam.”
“Too long.”
He took a step towards her and stopped. “Clara Miller?”
“N…” she caught herself, realizing he was calling her by her maiden name. It had been a long time since
anyone had called her that. “Yes?”
Who was this man? Her fear all but vanished and her curiosity grew.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “but do I know you?”
She took a step forward as he advanced three steps. Then he grasped the bill of his cap and eased it off his
head revealing dark brown hair shot with red from the sun. As his hand fell away from his face, Clara got her
first good look at him. His cheeks were lean and his jaws were covered with dark stubble. His mouth was
generous and his nose long yet slightly crooked. But it was his brilliant blue eyes permanently crinkled in the
corners from squinting against the sun and the elements that set Clara’s heart to racing.
The hammer, nails, and water jug slipped out of her hands and fell unheeded to the ground. There was only
one other person she knew who had eyes that peculiar shade of blue and that was her son. For one long
breathless moment, she thought she was going to faint.
“Oh, dear God.” The words slipped out in a whisper. “Adam.”
She could do nothing but stare at him, her mouth gaping. Her mind whirled with questions, but nothing
came out. Finally Adam broke their stare to look down at the hat he had crushed in his hands. When he
looked back up his expression was cautious. He cleared his throat.
“How have you been?”
He outwardly winced at his own words and then gave her an apologetic smile. Her heart fluttered. Oh Lord,
after all these years he still had the ability to make her weak in the knees with that smile. Or maybe it was
just an aftereffect from the shock of seeing him again.
“Sorry, I had a speech all rehearsed for when I saw you, but now…” he shook his head, “…words fail me.”
“What…what are you doing here?” Her voice shook treacherously. Why was he here? Why now?
Adam twisted the cap in his hands as if searching for the words. “I had to see you again. I had to see if…”
He cut himself short and dropped his gaze.
“Why?” Clara heard herself repeating unspoken thoughts. “Why now?”
His expression was earnest when he looked back up. “So many things were left unsaid and undone,
unsettled. You left a gaping hole in my life, Clara.”
She opened her mouth and closed it. What could she say? That he had left a hole in her life as well?
Thankfully, she’d had Trent to help fill it. A wave of panic swept over her. Oh, Lord! Trent…
Clara squeezed her eyes shut. This wasn’t happening. She was hallucinating from being out in the sun all
day. When she opened her eyes, Adam wouldn’t be there. He would be gone like a bad dream.
But he was still standing there tall and sure and oh so close. If she reached out her hand, she could touch
him. A fierce longing swept over her to do just that, but she fought it by crossing her arms over her chest.
“It’s been a long time, Adam.”
“Too long.”
Coming Soon to E-book!
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